Former National Police Chief Named Suspect for Alleged Illegal Wiretapping of President Prabowo

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — The Indonesian National Police Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) has named former National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo a criminal suspect for allegedly orchestrating unauthorized wiretapping targeting President Prabowo Subianto, senior state officials, and prominent business figures.

The extraordinary indictment of a former police chief who currently serves as the Head of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) highlights a major high-level security breach inside the Indonesian state apparatus. The case exposes systemic institutional vulnerabilities surrounding lawful interception powers and signals aggressive accountability moves by the administration's security brass amid ongoing internal leadership realignments.

Listyo Sigit’s rapid ascent through Indonesia's security apparatus has long mirrored pivotal political alignments in Jakarta. His professional trajectory gained decisive momentum when he served as police chief of Surakarta during Joko Widodo’s tenure as mayor, later rising to become Widodo’s presidential aide-de-camp before securing top institutional appointments, culminating in his selection as National Police Chief in 2021 and subsequent transition into the palace apparatus as Presidential Chief of Staff.

That a figure whose institutional career flourished in the former president’s innermost circle now faces criminal targeting by the current administration’s law enforcement apparatus injects fresh fragility into the delicate multi-faction alliance that secured Prabowo’s electoral victory, subtly testing the unspoken understandings that have bound the predecessor and successor camps together.

Three High-Ranking Officers Indicted

Police Commissioner General Asep Safrudin, Head of Bareskrim Polri, announced the indictments during an evening press briefing at police headquarters in Jakarta on Tuesday, flanked by top internal monitoring officials including Inspector General of General Supervision Commissioner General Asep Edi Suheri, Head of Internal Affairs Division Inspector General Nazly Harahap, and Head of Public Relations Division Inspector General Johnny Eddizon Isir.

Safrudin named three senior officers as suspects, identifying them only by the initials LSP, ASN, and EH, while a fourth officer remains under formal examination. The initials correspond directly to Listyo Sigit Prabowo and two active two-star police generals: Inspector General Ahrie Sonta, Head of the National Police Legal Division, and Inspector General Eko Hadi Santoso, a former Director of Narcotics Crimes at Bareskrim who currently serves as Principal Police Educator at the Police Staff and Leadership Training College.

"Investigators have named three suspects with the initials LSP, ASN, and EH, while one other individual is still undergoing examination," Safrudin told reporters.

According to police findings, the clandestine monitoring bypassed all regulatory frameworks and institutional oversight.

"The suspects are alleged to have conducted non-procedural wiretapping of the telephone numbers of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, state officials, political figures, community organizations, NGOs, the media, and business entrepreneurs," Safrudin stated.

Surveillance Outside Law Enforcement Channels

Investigators determined that between 2025 and 2026, the suspects directed unauthorized intercepts without statutory warrants or legitimate connection to ongoing police cases, violating National Police Chief Regulation Number 5 of 2010 on interception procedures. Several phone numbers were injected into interception servers without requisite verification protocols.

"Those numbers were wiretapped without any relation to or process of law enforcement, whether inquiry or investigation based on applicable laws," Safrudin noted.

The operation reportedly unraveled in October 2026 when the suspects issued orders to delete audio recordings and logs from the Lawful Interception Management System (LIMS) servers to eliminate operational traces. Personnel aware of the directive filed a formal police report on Oct. 30, 2026.

Operating on that report, investigators opened an inquiry. "Bareskrim conducted inquiries and investigations by examining 10 witnesses and three expert witnesses. We subsequently seized physical evidence in the form of 11 mobile phones, one iPad, and four flash drives," Safrudin added.

"Based on the results of a scientific crime investigation and the procedural management of the case, investigators named three individuals suspects, with the initials LSP, ASN, and EH," Safrudin said.

Severe Criminal Liabilities

Listyo Sigit Prabowo and his co-defendants have been charged under multiple statutory provisions covering unlawful interception, illegal data access, and digital interference.

The indictments cite Article 258 of the Indonesian Criminal Code (KUHP) on illegal wiretapping, carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; Article 332, paragraphs (1) and (2) of the KUHP on unauthorized computer system access, carrying up to six years; and Article 32, paragraph (1) of the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law regarding electronic data interference, carrying an eight-year maximum penalty. Cumulatively, the charges expose the suspects to potential maximum prison sentences of up to 24 years.

The investigation remains active as authorities examine additional forensic records extracted from the seized electronic devices and review internal access permissions across state surveillance nodes.